June 12, 2009
The directorial debut of Duncan Jones, a former ad exec and the son of the man who wrote “Space Oddity,” appears much indebted to Stanley Kubrick’s classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. (Remember, Bowie’s real name is David Robert Hayward-Jones, and he originally announced his son’s name as Zowie Bowie.) Astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) has inexplicable encounters on the dark side of the Moon, where he works with just a talking computer, GERTY, for company. The 2001 vibe comes in the cold, clean look of this moon station and the decidedly HAL-like computer. The reviews are positive. Cool trailer here.
June 11, 2009
The Nickel, the new hipster retro diner on L.A.’s Skid Row (the district around 5th and Main has long been named The Nickel) includes Ricki Klein among co-owners. Klein is the designer of interiors for Liquid Kitty bar on the Westside, as well as Cedd Moses’ 213 Inc. empire of downtown dives Golden Gopher, Broadway Bar and Seven Grand. Pulitzer Prize winning food writer Jonathan Gold takes a bite into The Nickel’s Maple Glazed Bacon Doughnuts among other cheap but tasty fare in this review from L.A. Weekly.
June 10, 2009
Will President Obama’s economic stimulus package work? It may be too early to say, but literally not one Republican in Congress voted for it. Now, however, USA Today reports that 13 Republicans who voted loudly against the bill have quietly requested the funding for their states or districts. For example, “Utah Republican Sen. Bob Bennett voted against the $787 billion economic stimulus package in February, declaring the day it passed that ‘the only thing this bill will stimulate is the national debt.’ ” But he asked for the funds anyway, saying, “As long as it passed and they’re handing out money, they might as well hand it out where it will do some good.” USA Today also reveals that Bennett’s stimulus funds request might be going to his political and financial allies: Read More
June 10, 2009
As businesses cope with the recession, some camp on the sidelines waiting for better times, while others exert their own changes. The restaurant sector may be one of the most indicative, because retail consumer demand is expected to signal a larger return of economic confidence. (Incidentally, retail sales rose .5%, the Commerce Dept. reported Thursday.) A recent article in Restaurant Report magazine by David Solner, of Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A., points out, “Downturns can be a time for businesses to capture additional market share while their competitors are in retreat. And adapting design and operations to changes in the marketplace is essential.” But besides freshening a restaurant’s brand, architectural redesigns can achieve Read More
June 5, 2009
We’re not supposed to admit such things, but it wasn’t until after the third or fourth album that The Beatles starting writing good lyrics. The reason their early songs are filled with diamond rings and yeah-yeah-yeahs is that McCartney and Lennon didn’t want meaning to get in the way of the music. Something like that is at play in the deceptively simple new power-pop supergroup Tinted Windows. (Last month The Hot Sheet previewed the concept. This is the (short!) review.) Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne) wrote the catchy rave-ups with James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins) and Taylor Hanson (Hanson). Fountains of Wayne is a power-pop group too, but with much more literate and witty lyrics. Schlesinger worked hard to dumb-down the material for Tinted Windows. Iha keeps things punkish, while drummer Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick adds new-wave cred. They won’t win any poetry awards. All the better to inject your brain full of hardish rock with a clean sheen.
June 4, 2009
As They See ‘Em is an insider’s look at the private lives of professional umpires. This is the small group of men-and rarely women-who make sure America’s pastime is played by the rules. Bruce Weber, a New York Times reporter, entered the world of the “men in blue,” training to become an umpire, then spending a season working games from Little League to spring training in the Majors. Read More
June 3, 2009
What do you and Former President Bill Clinton have in common? Well, for starters, you probably both enjoy saving the planet and saving money. For years environmentalists and developers have been telling us that the two can go hand-in-hand, but price tags have shown that’s just not the case. Until now. Recent reports in The New York Times Magazine and Los Angeles’ Downtown News shed new light on how our 42nd President and everyday Angelenos are turning green… into green. Read More
June 2, 2009
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is dating yet another Los Angeles television reporter. Hizzoner and KTLA-TV Channel 5 reporter Lu Parker, a former Miss U.S.A., were seen being affectionate with each other over the weekend at a Larchmont bookstore. The romance was confirmed by NBC Channel 4 L.A. news and the Los Angeles Times. The news comes two years after Villaraigosa’s extramarital affair with another local newscastress – Telemundo KVEA-TV Channel 52 reporter and anchor Mirthala Salinas – led to the breakup of his 20-year marriage. “Now that we’re aware of the relationship, she will no longer be covering local politics,” KTLA-TV news director Jason Ball, told the Times. “I have the utmost faith in Lu Parker’s abilities.”
